Heat the oil and butter in the base of a tagine or a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 1,5 minutes until they begin to soften.
Stir in the aubergines and courgettes and cook for a further 4 minutes, then add the apricots, ras el hanout and sugar.
Stir in the tomatoes with half the herbs and bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and cook over a medium heat for 30–40 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, then garnish with the remaining parsley and coriander.
Serve with a dollop of creamy yogurt and chunks of fresh, crusty bread if liked.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
For aubergines with dates, follow the recipe as for Aubergine & courgette tagine, omitting the courgettes, increasing the number of aubergines to 3 and replacing the apricots with 200 g ready-to-eat dried dates, halved lengthways.